Projectile



P. CHIROKY PROJECTILE Oct. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed March 10, 1949 A 9 m IP :(fl 4 X a P W IJ W,

Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES RI N T .FEE

Claims priority, application Switzerland October 12, 1948 4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a flying missile which differs from the known missiles in that it includes an aerothermic or statoreactor tube fitted with at least a coaxial rotating stabilizing body and with lateral supporting surfaces.

The attached drawing shows diagrammatically and by way of example two forms of construction of the flying missile.

Fig. 1 is a top View of a first form of construction with parts cut away.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a top view of a second form of construction with parts cut away.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view along the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

In accordance with Figs. 1 and 2 of the attached drawing, the flying missile includes an aerothermic or statoreactor tube I provided with lateral supporting surfaces 2 fastened to its external walls and arranged symmetrically on either side of its axis. Radial walls 3 and 4 having the shape of blades carry supports consisting of bearings 5 and 6 coaxially arranged with the tube I. These bearings carry a rotating stabilizing body I of lengthwise form and fitted with rings 8 and 9, intended to act in conjunction with the front faces I and II of the bearings and 6. Thus, these rings keep the body I in a definite axial position in relation to the tube I. In addition, this body I is fitted with flaps I2 having the profile of a vane and having the general form of a shell.

Finally, as shown on the drawing, the tube I has, on the one hand, a front part of transversal cross-sections increasing in the direction of its rear part, and, on the other hand, a rear part B of transversal cross-sections decreasing in the direction of its rear end. The part A is connected to the part P by a middle cylindrical part M. The whole is arranged in such a way as to form an aerothermic or statoreactor propeller tube, into which a traversing air stream produces, in accordance with Lorins principle, a propelling thrust, which partly compensates the braking undergone by the missile moving in the air.

The described missile is thrown at supersonic speed in the atmosphere by any of the known launching means, such as a rocket, for instance, in the direction of the target to be hit. When the missile is set in motion, the air stream traversing the tube I acting on the vanes I2, effects the rotation of the body I in its bearings. On the contrary, the tube I is kept by the blades 3 2 and 4, inclined in the direction opposite to that of the vanes I2, in an angular position for which, in projection on the horizontal plane, the lateral surfaces I are always symmetric in relation to the axis of the tube and can be exactly superimposed. Therefore, the missile fiies, sustained by its lateral wing surfaces, which have a profile similar to that of the wings of high speed reaction aircrafts, and keeps its direction due to the gyroscopic action of the body 1 set in rotation by the air stream traversing the tube I. It is obvious that the inclination of the blades 3 and 4 in relation to radial planes, as well as their profile, are calculated and chosen in function of the launching speed of the missile, of the friction in the bearings 5 and 6, and of the rotation speed of the body 7. Likewise, the profiles and the inclinations of the vanes I2 are chosen and calculated in order to obtain, at the launching speed of the projectile, the necessary and desired rotation speed for the body I to keep, due to the gyroscopic effect, the direction of launching during the whole duration of the flight, so that the missile always remains in the same vertical plane.

It is clear that a missile such as described makes it possible to greatly increase the shooting distance in relation to that of a shell, of ordinary type, for instance, and intended to be thrown by means of a tube. In addition, this missile requires a comparatively small energy expenditure for its propulsion and enables the achievement of very great accuracy in shooting.

In the form of construction shown on Figs. 1 and 2, the supports 5 and 6 are constituted by bearings in which revolves freely the body I which may consist of a shell, of a torpedo or of any hollow body having the general shape of a shell and intended for transporting substances or objects placed inside of it. In an alternative form of construction, the blades 3 and 4 could carry supports, constituted by hollow axles, on either of which could be mounted a rotating body 1. Inside these axles, there could then be rigidly fastened the object to be transported, such as shell, torpedo or any other missile having a lengthwise form. The latter could also constitute a shaft fixed in relation to the tube I and carrying rotating bodies I revolving freely around it. Finally, the gyroscopic effect could be increased by fixing a metal crown at the end of the vanes I2.

In the form of construction shown on Figs. 3 and 4, the missile is fitted with a reaction propelling device. The front part A of the tube I then constitutes a compressing device feeding 3 combustive air to a combustion chamber formed by the part M of this tube, whilst its part P constituted an exhaust nozzle. This tube I constitutes then the propelling tube of a stato-reactor.

In the form of construction shown, the supporting lateral surfaces have a certain thickness and are hollow, so as to form tanks 19 for the fuel needed for feeding the motor. The latter includes a carburettor of the grate type formed, in the example shown, by a tube M having the shape of a circle and fitted with orifices l5 opening on its upstream face. Tubes 16, provided with pressure valves I'I, connect the tanks to the carburettor. The latter is arranged coaxially with the tube inside a sleeve 20, of which the part 2|, situated before the carburettor, has the shape of a frustrum, whilst its part 22, situated after the carburettor, is provided with longitudinal slots 23.

The working of this stato-reactor is similar to that of the working of known stato-reactors. The pressure required. in order to effect the expulsion of the fuel by the orifices I5 and the pulverization of the jets coming out from these orifices can be obtained either by compressing a neutral gas such as carbon dioxide in the tanks it, or by the evaporation of the liquid fuel under the influence of the rise in temperature at the place of the combustion chamber M, according to the well known working principle of soldering lamps for instance. The combustion air is supplied by the air circulating in the tube I, of which a part traverses the sleeve 20 and another part goes through the annular canal formed between the sleeve 20 and the tube 8.

The continuous combustion thus obtained in the combustion chamber produces a thrust which propels the projectile.

The filling of the tanks [9 can be effected through orifices normally closed by plugs 25. The latter form the rear part of elements 24 fixed at the ends of the wings 2 and constitute recuperators for the marginal losses.

Finally, a passage 26 is arranged between the tube l and the tanks l9. This passage is traversed by a stream of air which avoids the formation of hot points and cools oif the tube I.

The described missile can be launched by means of a launching ramp of light type. In a general manner, the starting angle will preferably be 45 If the missile is fitted with a reaction propelling device, it can then reach very distant targets. It is obvious that the reaction propelling device described above by way of example can be simply replaced by any reactor device with liquid, gaseous or solid fuel, of the turbo-reactor, state-reactor or rocket type.

In the case of a missile fitted with a turboreactor, it is possible to use the revolving parts of the latter as rotating body. However, it is then necessary to take steps in order that when the propelling device will stop owing to fuel supply being exhausted, the rotating body or bodies should be kept in rotation by the air stream traversing the tube I, this in view of keeping the launching direction until the missile hits the target.

In the case of a propelling device like the one shown on the Fig. 3, it would be advantageous to arrange the vanes I2 on the front part of the rotating body I, or at least before the combustion chambers M, this in order to efiect the stirring up of the air favouring the burning of the fuel.

I claim:

1. A flying carrier comprising two lateral sustaining foils, an aerothermic tube carried by said sustaining foils, two axially spaced series of radially extending inclined deflector forming vanes carried by the inner wall of the tube, a bearing carried by each series of vanes and pos'itioned coaxially of the tube, a rotary stabilizing body carried by said bearings and disposed coaxially within said tube, inclined radially extending blades carried by the exterior of the rotary body and positioned within the tube in the flow path through said tube to effect rotation of the rotary body, said vanes being inclined oppositely to the inclination of the blades to prevent rotation of the body being transmitted to the tube.

2. A flying carrier according to claim 1 further comprising a combustion device mounted in the rear portion of the tube to increase the speed of flow of air through the tube during flight of the missile.

3. A flying carrier according to claim 1 further comprising a combustion device mounted in the rear portion of the tube to increase the speed of flow of air through the tube during flight of the missile, and an auxiliary aerothermic tube surrounding the first mentioned tube in spaced relation thereto.

4. A flying carrier comprising two lateral sustaining foils, an aerothermic tube carried by said sustaining foils, two axially spaced series of radially extending inclined deflector forming vanes carried by the inner wall of the tube, a bearing carried by each series of vanes and positioned coaxially of the tube, a rotary stabilizing body carried by said bearings and disposed coaxially within said tube, inclined radially extending blades carried by the exterior of the rotary body and positioned within the tube in the flow path through said tube to effect rotation of the rotary body, said vanes being inclined oppositely to the inclination of the blades to prevent rotation of the body being transmitted to the tube, a combustion device mounted in the rear portion of the tube to increase the speed of flow of air through the tube during flight of the missile, an auxiliary aerothermic tube surrounding the first mentioned tube in spaced relation thereto, and fuel tanks carried in the sustaining foils and separated from the first mentioned tube by the space between the two tubes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,038,400 Linsmeyer Sept. 10, 1912 1,233,982 Clark July 17., 1917 1,302,162 Hesse Apr. 29, 1919 2,401,853 Bailey June 11, 1946 2,402,718 Albree June 25, 1946 2,412,173 Pope Dec. '3, 1,946 2,461,797 Zwicky Feb. 15, 1949 2,516,910 Redding Aug. 1, 1950 2,596,435 Robert May 13, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 522,506 France Apr. 1, 1921 563,427 Great Britain Aug. '15, 1944 936,183 France Feb. 16, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES The Pulse Jet, by Eugene J. Manganiello, The Coast Artillery Journal, January-February 1948, pp. 9-13. (Copy in Div. 70.) 

